Hi, Reader!
As I type this, we are less than 48 hours away from October 2025 - the final quarter of the year!
Think back to January 2025.
What goals did you set for your money? And where are you at in achieving those goals?
If you're making great progress and on track to achieve or exceed your goals, I'm applauding you right now! Stay the course, you're almost there.
Today I want to write to those of you who feel behind - especially those of you who feel so far behind that you're tempted to say "I'll try again in January."
"Most people overestimate what they can do in a year and underestimate what they can do in a decade." -Bill Gates
I think this same principle can apply to any short or long period of time.
For example, we overestimate what we can do within one pay period and underestimate what we can do in the last 3 months of 2025.
We'll say things like:
"This week I'm going to cook all meals at home, transfer money to savings, order nothing online, sell 10 things on facebook marketplace, and organize the pantry." (we all know how that will go).
But we'll also say things like:
"I don't want to be too unrealistic. Maybe I'll try adding $1,000 to my emergency fund this year." (That's less than $85/month)
If you're feeling frustrated or hopeless about your 2025 money progress, let's try this perspective this instead:
- "I made up this goal at the beginning of the year - I had good intentions and optimism and I couldn't predict everything that would happen in the year.
- Now that 9 months have passed, things have happened (both inside and outside my control) that I didn't plan on.
- With those things in mind, I'm going to adjust and fully commit to getting as close to my goal as I can by the end of the year without labelling myself a failure if I don't get all the way there."
Reminder: the goals you set for yourself were made up by... well... you. Which means the goals can be adjusted by you too!
Action step: look at your progress on one or two of your financial goals so far this year.
If you won't get all the way to the finish line of your goal by the end of the year:
adjust the goal instead of abandoning it.
Change the amount, change the due date, change your spending or working habits to adjust the speed of your progress. Just don't abandon it altogether and miss 3 months worth of progress.
My Personal Progress on 2025 Money Goals:
Emergency Fund (add $10,000 for a total of $30,000):
$4,300/$10,000 = 43% of the way to my goal
Roth IRA (fill one of our Roths to the annual limit of $7,000):
$6,139/$7,000 = 87.7% of the way to my goal
A big variable for my goals: Kyle's profit-sharing bonus (last year was his first year ever receiving one and he only worked half the year). We won't really know how much it will until early December.
If it matches what it was last year (adjusted for how long he worked there), we'll meet both of our goals.
If it doesn't, we won't.
The bonus amount is outside of my control.
The main emphasis at the end of the year will be how much we did achieve, not how far off we were from an arbitrary goal.
And I hope that's your main takeaway on the year too!
Join us in the Care Creates Community!
with a 2 week free trial
Did you know we have a Debt Free Mom community of like-minded budgeters supporting each other, answering questions, and dialoguing about a new topic each month?
For a limited time, (ending this Wednesday, October 1st!) we are offering a 2 week free trial in the community.
Our October Topic: putting your personal finances on auto-pilot!
|
WHAT I BOUGHT AND KEPT IN SEPTEMBER
My lowest spend month of 2025!
I don't know if it's the rising costs of everything, the way I've really been trying to lean into Care Creates Contentment even more than usual, or still riding the coattails of a spending hangover from our move...
But I've been buying fewer random items on Amazon each month and I'm not mad about it!
|